After visiting a local Nike store, Britt Aboutaleb of Yahoo! Beauty shares what she has discovered is the most helpful and effective way of shopping for running shoes. Regardless of where you shop, the salesperson should ask you certain questions: “How often do you run? How many miles? Do you run on a treadmill, the road, a trail? Are you training for anything? What’s your average pace?”

Even more helpful is if your sales associate can observe you running; at Nike, Aboutaleb’s salesperson filmed her running and let the Nike in-store app determine at what angle her foot hit the ground and followed through—pronation. Determining whether or not you overpronate or supinate is helpful in selecting a running shoe that will provide you with the best support.

Although it seems simple, running is in fact a complex movement that places stress on the joints, bones, and ligaments of the body. To increase performance and avoid the risk of injury, it is important to choose the right running shoe based on your foot type. The general design of running shoes is centered around pronation, which is the rolling of the ankle from outside to inside when the foot strikes the ground.

Neutral runners are able to choose from a wide variety of shoes, including minimalist shoes or even go barefoot

Runners who overpronate, or experience an over-abundance of ankle rolling, should choose shoes that provide extra motion control and stability

Runners who underpronate, or supinate, have feet that have high arches and lack flexibility, preventing shock absorption. Runners who supinate require shoes with more flexibility and cushion

To learn about your foot type, visit a local shop that specializes in running shoes. Professionals will be able to measure your stride, gait, and arch type and inform you of your footwear needs, which come in handy for future reference.

If you have any questions, please contact one of our offices located in Connecticut. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.